Contemplation: Lack of Vigilance

After reviewing the guidelines for practice, take the following as your object of contemplation:

Lack of vigilance is like a thief
Who slinks behind when mindfulness abates.
And all the merit we have gathered in
He steals, and down we go to lower realms.

Defilements are a band robbers
Waiting for their chance to bring us injury.
They steal our virtue, when their moment comes,
And batter out the life of happy destinies.

Therefore, from the gateway of awareness,
Mindfulness shall not have leave to stray.
And if it wanders, it shall be recalled,
By thoughts of anguish in the lower worlds.

 Santideva, The Way of the Bodhisattva, p. 66.